Written Answers Wednesday 2 November 2005

Scottish Executive

Bees

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it is providing to the bee-keeping industry.

Ross Finnie: The Executive provides assistance to the Scottish beekeeping industry through the UK Apiculture Programme. The Scottish element of the programme is delivered by:

  
the Scottish Agriculture Science Agency, which provides a free laboratory diagnostic service for notifiable disease examination and assessment;
  the Scottish Agricultural College, through its apiculture specialist, provides free advice and training in all aspects of integrated pest management and good bee husbandry in relation to the control of notifiable bee diseases, and
  Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department’s (SEERAD) bee officers respond to notification of the possible presence of notifiable bee disease and carry out voluntary searches for the presence of such disease.


  This work is co-ordinated and managed through the Animal Health and Welfare Division of SEERAD.

Bees

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its assessment is of the benefits of the bee-keeping and honey industry for the rural economy.

Ross Finnie: It is recognised that honey bees make an important contribution to the pollination of commercial grown crops and wild plants and flowers. This contribution is difficult to quantify; but I understand a study by Carreck and Williams in 1998 estimated that the value of the contribution that bees make to the UK economy to be in excess of £200 million per annum.

Bees

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the number of bee inspectors.

Ross Finnie: I have no plans to do this.

Bees

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any EU funding available to support the bee-keeping and honey industry and, if so, whether such funding has been applied for, and is being used, by the Executive.

Ross Finnie: EU funding is available under Commission Regulation (EC) No 797/2004, which enables the Executive to reclaim 50% of all spending under the Scottish part of the UK Apiculture Programme.

  This funding is used by the Executive to provide a range of support measures to Scottish beekeepers. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20005 on 2 November 2005 which outlines the measures available to beekeepers in Scotland. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Cancer

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans, as part of targets to reduce cancer deaths, to develop a nationwide policy of retention of all cancer patients’ records until five years after death and invest more resources in clerical and IT staff to update, computerise and access these records.

Mr Andy Kerr: A working group of interested parties, including patients, is currently reviewing retention and destruction of all types of health records, and a national consultation on the Retention and Disposal of Health Records is currently underway. Further information on the consultation is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/current .

  Investment in IT and associated support is being put in place including plans for further growth to meet requirements.

  Cancer mortality in the under 75s in Scotland has reduced by 14.8% between 1995-2004. At this rate the target reduction of 20% by 2010 in this group will be met.

Cancer

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to direct more investment in the NHS towards technicians and equipment parts concerned with the treatment of cancer, given that equipment needs to be serviced and maintained.

Mr Andy Kerr: The treatment of cancer is a top priority for the Scottish Executive and NHSScotland.

  The Scottish Executive has invested heavily in more skilled staff and equipment to improve cancer services, including £87 million for the new West of Scotland Cancer Centre. The £25 million recurring additional investment from Cancer in Scotland has resulted in more than 300 additional staff and additional/new equipment to build capacity with many examples of specific reductions in waiting times and other important clinical quality improvements.

  With some of the best treatment in the world, more and more Scots are living with and beating cancer. All of Scotland’s five cancer centres have new state of the art imaging, radiotherapy and other equipment. In addition, £125 million is invested over three years for new medical equipment across the country, including £33 million for new radiotherapy equipment and a 20% increase in capital investment for NHS boards.

  Equipment is calibrated and serviced on a continual basis by specialist trained professionals, according to manufacturers’ recommendations and in accordance with safety legislation and national quality standards.

Cancer

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to decentralise cancer screening and treatment services in the west of Scotland, given that the east of Scotland has four centres and the west has one.

Mr Andy Kerr: Decisions on where cancer treatment is provided are clinically based and are agreed between doctor and patient. As far as possible and dependent on the type of tumour and treatment requirements, arrangements are made to treat patients as close to home as possible.

  Delivering for Health sets the direction for NHS services for the future with services delivered as locally as possible, when that can be done safely and sustainably, but with prompt access to specialised services when necessary.

  The Scottish Executive and NHSScotland are constantly seeking to develop the service in line with patients’ needs, taking into account patient safety which is paramount. However, in some cases, treatment requirements are so highly specialised that they are available only in Cancer Centres e.g. radiotherapy and some forms of chemotherapy.

  There are five cancer centres in Scotland in Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen. Outreach services and some treatments for cancer are also available in local hospitals.

  There are six breast screening centres in Scotland in Glasgow, Irvine, Dundee, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen. To enable ease of access the Scottish Breast Screening Programme also operate 18 mobile units throughout the country.

Cancer

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend nationally monitoring of patients who have had mantle area radiotherapy, given that mantle radiation carries an increased risk of breast cancer.

Mr Andy Kerr: Following a report from the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) about the evidence of an increased risk of breast cancer following supradiagphragmatic (mantle) radiotherapy for Hodgkins disease in young women, the Chief Medical Officers of the four UK Departments of Health instituted a UK-wide identification and notification exercise which commenced in 2003. This involved identifying, contacting and informing patients throughout the UK.

  Letters and fact sheets were sent to identified patients’ general practitioners and consultants and a national announcement was made by the Department of Health in England in November 2003.

  More than 300 women across Scotland were contacted as part of the exercise, some of whom elected to take up the invitation for advice and surveillance. Some women are also now of an age that they are called for screening by the Scottish Breast Screening Programme.

Cancer

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to monitor, with a view to curbing, environmental pollutants such as pesticides, herbicides and the use of antibiotics, additives and hormone treatments in the animal and plant food chain, in light of the statement by the UK Working Group on the Primary Prevention of Breast Cancer in its report, Breast Cancer – an Environmental Disease: The Case for Primary Prevention , that they are influential in causing a rise in the rate of breast cancer in women.

Mr Andy Kerr: The report suggests that exposure to industrial chemicals and radiation are major causes of breast cancer. However, there is currently no compelling scientific evidence for the role of pollutants in breast-cancer risk. Evidence for a link between breast cancer and exposure to environmental pollutants is weak.

  Scottish Executive policy is designed to ensure that all pesticides are safe to those who use them, to consumers of the treated produce and to the environment. Monitoring programmes are run annually, including to identify residue levels of pesticides in crops, food and feeding stuffs.

  The Scottish Executive supports the overall objective of the proposed new European Union’s Chemicals Strategy REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals), the aim of which is to protect human health and the environment. The Scottish and UK Governments want to develop a fast, efficient and workable process to test and screen chemicals and tackle those of most concern. It is hoped that the new regulatory regime will be a marked shift forward in terms of speeding up the regulation and authorisation process for new and existing chemicals.

  Growth hormones are not permitted for feeding to animals in Scotland. The Feeding Stuffs (Scotland) Regulations 2000 will be replaced by The Feeding Stuffs (Scotland) 2005 Regulations. The new Regulations will ban the use of antibiotic growth promoters in Scotland from 1 January 2006.

Co-Operatives

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in setting up a co-operative development agency for Scotland, particularly in respect of co-operatively owned renewables, and by what date it expects the agency to be in existence and staffed.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive decided to establish the Co-operative Development Agency (CDA) as a subsidiary of Scottish Enterprise, with a Scotland wide remit. Renewables is an area of potential activity for the CDA, which has been identified in the Executive’s policy evaluation.

  Scottish Enterprise, with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, are currently recruiting the chief executive officer, chair of the advisory board and board members, with an aim for the CDA to be operational by January 2006.

Crofting

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crofters Commission would have to sanction interposed leases between private developers and landowners on crofting land or estates in order for the leases to be legal under the Crofting (Scotland) Act 1993.

Rhona Brankin: The question posed relates to interpretation of the law and is one which cannot be satisfactorily resolved except through a judgement by a relevant court.

Crofting

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will challenge interposed leases already agreed between landlords and private developers for wind farms on crofting land or estates which have not been sanctioned by the Crofters Commission.

Rhona Brankin: I have not yet decided whether the Scottish Executive will challenge interposed leases already agreed between landlords and private developers for wind farms on crofting land or estates which have not been sanctioned by the Crofters Commission. I am currently considering the matter. If the Scottish Executive does mount a challenge, it would be in relation to an existing lease.

Crofting

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time has been to place new tenants in vacant crofts across the crofting counties in the last year.

Rhona Brankin: This information is not held by the Crofters Commission. The time taken to place new tenants in a vacant croft can vary depending on when the commission becomes aware of the vacancy. The commission’s target time for concluding its consideration of a let of a crofting tenancy following receipt of a competent application is 14 weeks.

Crofting

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many crofts were vacant and in what areas of the crofting counties on 1 October 2005.

Rhona Brankin: According to the Register of Crofts held by the Crofters Commission there were 100 vacant crofts at 1 October 2005 distributed as follows:

  

Area
Number


Argyll
19


Caithness
11


Inverness
8


Orkney
9


Ross-shire
13


Shetland
16


Skye
10


Sutherland
9


Western Isles
5


Total
100



  The Crofters Commission is currently carrying out an exercise to review the crofts that are currently vacant and consider seeking reletting proposals.

Crofting

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include in the draft Crofting Reform Bill a provision such as that contained in Schedule l of the current Crofters Scotland Act 1993 which provides that "the Secretary of State may provide the services of such officers and servants as the Commission may require" and what its intentions are in respect of the future of its staff currently seconded to the Crofters Commission.

Rhona Brankin: No. The changes proposed in the draft Crofting Reform Bill will empower the Crofters Commission to employ its own staff. It is not possible to include a provision such as the one suggested as it would have the effect of fettering the new commission in relation to staffing matters. Ministers have already made a commitment that, should the new commission wish to make arrangements for existing staff to remain on secondment, it would be open to them to do so. I expect that the existing staff will be offered posts in the new organisation on terms and conditions at least as good as those they currently enjoy. Those staff based at the commission who do not accept an appointment with the new body will remain Scottish Executive staff and we will endeavour to find posts for them elsewhere within the Scottish Executive or in other parts of the civil service.

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has identified any areas of Scotland as being priority areas for placing dentists recruited from overseas.

Lewis Macdonald: There are eight areas in Scotland which are classed as designated. These and other NHS board areas were offered the opportunity of placing the dentists who are currently being recruited from overseas. Those boards which have chosen not to take up the opportunity to recruit from the first wave are free to do so in the future.

Drug Misuse

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many drug traffickers have been (a) caught and (b) convicted since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The available statistics on persons convicted for drug trafficking offences were given in the answer to question S2W-19594 on 26 October 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have relied on (a) gas, (b) oil and (c) renewable sources for heating in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area and showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Allan Wilson: The precise information requested is unavailable centrally. The Department of Trade and Industry have published estimates of the number of domestic consumers supplied with gas in each local authority area for the years 2001, 2002 and 2003, but do not identify whether this is used for heating (available at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/inform/energy_trends/ ). Fuel Poverty in Scotland: Further Analysis of the Scottish House Condition Survey published by Communities Scotland in 2004 (Bib. number 32572), provides information on the main types of fuel used for heating systems by Scottish households. For households whose main heating fuel is electricity, it is not possible to distinguish those whose electricity supply is provided by renewable sources.

Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average heating bill was for households which use (a) gas, (b) oil and (c) renewable sources as their source of heating in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area and showing the year-on-year percentage changes.

Allan Wilson: The information requested is not available centrally.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the North Sea fishing effort was made by Scotland since the 65% target for reduction in cod mortality was introduced by the European Commission and what information it has on the equivalent figures for the United Kingdom and each of the other countries that fish the North Sea.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive does not currently have effort data for other member states that fish in the North Sea. We understand that the European Commission is currently seeking this information.

  The following table shows the proportion of the UK’s North Sea fishing effort which was made up by Scotland since the 65% target for reduction in cod mortality was introduced by the European Commission, compared with the remainder of the UK.

  

 
2002
Proportion of UK NS Fishing Effort - %
2003
Proportion of UK NS Fishing Effort - %
2004
Proportion of UK NS Fishing Effort - %


Total Scottish NS Effort (KW days at sea) 
41,399,422
79
33,277,893
78
30,402,566
78


Total NS Effort England, Wales and NI (KW days at sea)
11,168,370
21
9,609,617
22
8,496,703
22


Total UK NS Effort(KW days at sea) 
52,567,792
 
42,887,510
 
38,899,269*
 



  Note: *This figure shows that the UK’s overall effort in the North Sea has reduced by 26% between 2002 and 2004. When the same data is broken down by gear category and compared against the 2001 baseline, the UK data for whitefish gear, (demersal trawl >= 100mm), shows a 58% effort reduction.

  If trips where cod made up less than 5% of the total landings from the Cod Recovery Zone are excluded the effort reduction in the North Sea is 67%.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been given to NHS boards regarding the provision of full and part-time chaplains to meet the spiritual needs of in-patients.

Mr Andy Kerr: Health Department Letter 76 (Bib. number 37740), issued to the NHS in October 2002, provides guidance on matters relating to the provision of spiritual care in the NHS. The Scottish Executive Health Department will shortly consult with the NHS and faith communities about whether the guidance requires updating.

Health

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any surgeons in Scotland who are trained, or are training, to carry out hip and knee replacement procedures by minimally invasive surgery.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on staff in post in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce .

  Section B gives details of medical staff employed in NHS Scotland. In particular, table B8 and B17 shows the headcount number of consultants and doctors in training broken down by specialty. Minimally invasive hip and knee replacement procedures are carried out by trauma and orthopaedic surgeons. Latest available figures are at 31 March 2005.

  Information on the number of surgeons specifically trained in hip and knee replacement procedures using minimally invasive surgery is not held centrally.

Health

Kate Maclean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why an estimated 50% of patients suffering from wet age-related macular degeneration, who in accordance with NHS QIS guidance could benefit from photo-dynamic therapy, are still not receiving this treatment.

Kate Maclean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the informal clinical network and clinical patient pathway for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration will be fully implemented.

Kate Maclean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why it has taken over 18 months to implement the regional service for treating wet age-related macular degeneration, referred to by the former Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care in a debate on the issue on 4 February 2004 ( Official Report c. 5522).

Kate Maclean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11713 by Mr Andy Kerr on 9 November 2004, what action it is taking to ensure that photodynamic therapy is available to all those who need it; how the provision of the service is being monitored, and when the results of that monitoring will be made available.

Kate Maclean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconsider its position on NHS provision of photodynamic therapy for sufferers of non-classic wet age-related macular degeneration.

Mr Andy Kerr: No routine statistical information is collected centrally on the number of people with age-related macular degeneration, nor, of those, who would benefit from photodynamic therapy treatment (PDT). The necessary treatment facilities in Scotland are, however, fully operational. There are five of these operational facilities located at North Glasgow, South Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh. NHS boards are giving priority to ensuring that those who require PDT receive it and to implementing the appropriate clinical patient pathways. This will ensure that National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advice endorsed by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) is fully implemented. This treatment is currently provided for people with classic with no occult subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) in accordance with the NICE guidance endorsed by NHS QIS. It is not recommended for any other condition.

Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals to ring-fence funds to provide trained NHS specialists to deal with people who suffer from allergies.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no plans to ring-fence funds in this way. I expect NHS boards to make provision for allergy services from within their general annual allocations.

Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what training has been provided to ensure that medical staff have better knowledge and the skills to ensure that they are equipped for dealing with people who suffer from allergies.

Mr Andy Kerr: For the first time, allergy was recognised by the Specialist Training Authority as constituting a related but distinct specialty in 1999. The effects of specialist training in this discipline will take time to be fully reflected in NHS provision.

  Training in the assessment and treatment of allergic reactions forms part of general undergraduate medical education and is also a component of a number of general medical specialties. Allergy and the management of anaphylaxis is also normally discussed with GPs during training. All doctors in NHSScotland will have a certain level of knowledge in this area. It is not possible, however, to identify those who have a specific interest in the treatment of anaphylaxis.

  A short-life Working Group, which has been set up by the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (SMASAC), is in the process of reviewing allergy services in general and will make recommendations on how to strengthen and support primary health care staff in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disorders.

Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many allergy specialists there are, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: For the first time, allergy was recognised by the Specialist Training Authority as constituting a related but distinct specialty in 1999. The effects of specialist training in this discipline will take time to be fully reflected in NHS provision.

  Most mild or moderate allergy symptoms are managed successfully in primary care.

  The majority of secondary care referrals are made to organ-based specialists such as ENT surgeons, chest physicians, dermatologists and gastroenterologists.

  Patients with severe, drug-resistant or life-threatening disease require expert allergy assessment at tertiary care level. These patients are seen by Consultant Immunologists who conduct a number of sessions in allergy per week.

  Information on staff in post in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

  Section B gives details of medical staff employed in NHS Scotland. In particular, table B9 and B17 shows the headcount number of consultants and doctors in training broken down by specialty. Latest available figures are at 31 March 2005.

Health Promotion

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action can be taken to further include ethnic minorities in health education schemes.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS Health Scotland who have the remit to promote health improvement are reviewing all materials and resources they publish, including their health promotion material, over the next six to twelve months to ensure ethnic and cultural factors associated with health and health care are considered.

  In addition, NHS Scotland introduced the Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment Toolkit for both the Health Department and NHS Scotland in March 2005. The toolkit is intended to support consideration of equality and diversity issues in the design, development and delivery of policies and services across NHS Scotland which includes health education schemes.

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the European Commission regarding the role of Scottish universities in a European institute for technology.

Nicol Stephen: None. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19607 on 2 November 2005 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish universities, Universities Scotland and the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council regarding a European institute for technology.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive has corresponded with officials in Universities Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council on this issue, and will continue to consult these bodies as it develops a contribution to the UK’s response to the Commission’s consultation paper. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19607 on 2 November 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would support a bid from one or more Scottish universities to become a base for a European institute of technology and, if so, what support would be forthcoming.

Nicol Stephen: The European Commission’s proposals for a European Institute for Technology (EIT) should offer some helpful opportunities for the Scottish higher education sector. The proposals are at a very early stage of development. The Commission’s public consultation document presents a very wide range of options for the possible mission, structure and priorities for an EIT. The Executive is working with the UK Government on developing a response to this consultation. The Executive will continue to work with the higher education sector and other stakeholders to ensure that Scotland contributes to the development of the EIT, and is able to take best advantage of the opportunities that it may offer.

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would support a bid from one or more Scottish universities to become part of a European institute of technology network and, if so, what support would be forthcoming.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the question S2W-19607 answered on 2 November 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Justice

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many female offenders convicted or sentenced in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005 at (i) all sheriff summary courts, (ii) Glasgow Sheriff Summary Court, (iii) Edinburgh Sheriff Summary Court and (iv) Glasgow Stipendiary Court received a (1) resultant custodial sentence, excluding those defaulting on a fine, or (2) fine.

Cathy Jamieson: The information currently available for 2003 is given in the table.

  Females Given a Custodial Sentence or Fined in Selected Courts, 20031

  

 Courts
Main Result of Proceedings


Custody
Fine


Glasgow Lay District and Stipendiary Magistrates Courts2
65
1,067


Glasgow Sheriff Summary Court
65
331


Edinburgh Sheriff Summary Court
125
607


All Sheriff Summary Courts
945
5,353



  Notes:

  1. Includes estimated data.

  2. Cases in the Glasgow lay district and stipendiary magistrates courts are not generally identifiable separately in the statistics for 2003.

  Figures for 2004-05 are not yet available.

Legal Aid

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the largest single legal aid payment has been since 1999.

Hugh Henry: The largest single payment in a legally-aided case was £877,981.07, part of the cost of the case of Robert Napier v The Scottish Ministers . In that case, expenses were recovered from the defender and there was no net cost to the Legal Aid Fund.

NHS 24

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how and when the recommendations of Report: Review of NHS 24 will be put into practice.

Mr Andy Kerr: Of the 22 recommendations, most are for NHS 24 and the area NHS boards to progress, while some are for the health department. Work on a number of them has already begun. I expect the recommendations to be taken forward in partnership wherever that is appropriate and I also expect them to be delivered within the deadlines where these have been set. Progress will be monitored closely and shall be reported to me on a quarterly basis.

  The priority for NHS 24 and all area NHS boards at the moment is to develop robust plans to deal with the expected winter demands on out-of-hours services. This addresses the first recommendation in the report.

NHS 24

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17475 by Mr Andy Kerr on 28 July 2005, what the average call back time for NHS 24 has been in each month since May 2005.

Mr Andy Kerr: At all times, clinically urgent calls are dealt with immediately by NHS 24 nurse advisers. During peak times, less clinically urgent calls are prioritised and the service endeavours to achieve call back by a nurse adviser within specified target times – 60 minutes for Priority 1 calls and 120 minutes for Priority 2 calls. The table shows the average call back time each month from May 2005 until September 2005.

  

Month
Average Time to Call Back (Minutes)


May 2005
49


June 2005
47


July 2005
52


August 2005
37


September 2005
36

NHS Staff

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time biomedical sciences vacancies there are in each NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally.

National Health Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been (a) refused NHS treatment because of residential status and (b) declined such treatment because they were told that there would be a charge under the regulations relating to overseas visitors.

Mr Andy Kerr: The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Scotland) Regulations 1989, as amended, lay down the grounds under which an overseas visitor will be eligible for NHS care. Any visitor who does not meet one of these grounds must be charged. Since individuals seeking care usually approach GPs, dentists, opticians or hospitals directly the Executive does not hold records of those who have been refused NHS treatment, whether or not they then paid for private treatment.

National Health Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hip replacement operations were carried out in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The following table shows the number of total hip replacement operations carried out in each of the last five years in NHSScotland. Data is presented for both the total number of operations and the number of principal operations.

  Number of Total Hip Replacement Operations (Total and Principal) Carried Out in NHSScotland - Years Ending 31 March 2001-05

  

Year Ending 31 March
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005


Operations Performed
5,127
5,067
5,184
5,598
5,681


Principal Operations1
5,013
4,953
5,081
5,484
5,583



  Note: Individual patients may have more than one hip replacement procedure recorded during an episode in hospital. For instance, this situation could arise in cases where a patient has both hips replaced during a single episode. This explains why there are small differences in the total and principal operation counts.

National Health Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19656 by Mr Andy Kerr on 20 October 2005, whether it will provide figures for the country of qualification in each year since 1999, broken down by country.

Mr Andy Kerr: In answer to the question S2W-19656 Mr Stevenson was advised that figures of nurses and midwives recruited to NHSScotland are not held centrally. This information was requested from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) who advised that they are unable to provide numbers based on country of origin. The NMC regard this information as irrelevant as an international nurse either meets the NMC standards or not and there should be no discrimination for selection for an overseas nurses programme (ONP) based upon country of origin.

  The table below shows the number of HCHS medical and dental staff by country of qualification at 30 September in each year since 1999. Latest figures are at 30 September 2004.

  NHSScotland Workforce Statistics, HCHS Medical and Dental Staff by Country of Qualification, Headcount as at 30 September

  

 
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999


Total
10,608
10,381
10,256
9,646
9,325
9,273


Scotland
7,034
7,004
6,974
6,552
6,343
6,306


Other UK/UK Unspecified
1,530
1,533
1,518
1,486
1,459
1,433


Other EEA Countries1
394
375
375
371
360
390


Rest of World
1,650
1,469
1,389
1,237
1,163
1,144



  Notes:

  HCHS refers to the Hospital, Community and Public Health Services of the NHS.

  1. European Economic Area (EEA) countries includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Sweden.

  It is important to note that this data does not reflect where this group of staff were recruited from, particularly numbers outwith the UK, if indeed they were actively recruited. Inward and outward migration is a global trend and although the Scottish Executive is shortly going to introduce a Code of Practice for international recruitment of healthcare professionals encouraging ethical and efficient recruitment practices, suitably qualified and registered individuals from any country are at liberty to attain a career within NHSScotland and improve their position in society.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its original strategic objectives Scottish Natural Heritage has achieved since its inception.

Rhona Brankin: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) was set up under the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 with the general aims and purposes of:

  Securing the conservation and enhancement of, and fostering understanding and facilitating enjoyment of, the natural heritage of Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage also has to have regard to the desirability of ensuring that anything done in relation to the natural heritage is undertaken in a manner which is sustainable.

  Scottish Natural Heritage is an open organisation. Its board meetings are held in public and its board papers are generally available. Information on progress against targets and objectives is available through SNH’s annual reports starting in 1992-93.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Funds

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13311 by Nicol Stephen on 25 January 2005, how much has now been paid out in ex gratia payments to the former members of the Scottish Transport Group Pension funds.

Mr Tom McCabe: A total of £125.72 million has been paid as at 19 October 2005.

Standards Commission for Scotland

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its original strategic objectives the Standards Commission for Scotland has achieved since its inception.

George Lyon: The objectives achieved by the Standards Commission for Scotland can be found in its annual report and accounts 2003-04 and annual report and accounts 2004-05. Copies will be available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre by 9 November 2005 and the Bib. numbers are 37843 and 37842 respectively.

Vaccines

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what current vaccines contain thiomersal or similar heavy metal based preservatives.

Mr Andy Kerr: The regulation and safety of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA has advised that there are currently 102 vaccines licensed in the UK of these 20 contain thiomersal or sodium thimerfonate. Seven vaccines (Anthrax Vaccine, Ad DTP, Act-HIB DTP, Behring Ad T, Behring Ad DT, Evans Ad T, Tritanrix Hep B) contain preservative levels, and 13 vaccines (Tetravac, Pentavac, Fluarix, Engerix B, Fluvirin, Inactivated Flu, Twinrix Adult, Twinrix Paediatric, Infanrix Hexa, Infanrix Penta, Ambirix, Fendrix and Quintanrix) contain residual traces from the manufacturing process.

  None of the vaccines are used in the current childhood immunisation programme.

  The product information for these products clearly states that thiomersal or sodium thimerfonate is present in the vaccine.

  Information about the work of the MHRA, including its licensing procedures, can be found at: www.mhra.gov.uk.

Work and Families Bill

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government in respect of the Work and Families Bill introduced in the House of Commons on 18 October 2005.

Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including the implications for devolved matters in Scotland of its legislative programme. This contact reflects the approach, set out in Devolution Guidance Note 1 in accordance with the principles set out in the Memorandum of Understanding, that the administrations normally consult each other from an early stage on the development of relevant legislative proposals.